


The Royal Hound

by Kiraly



Category: The Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
Genre: Gen, Poetry, Satire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-02-23 12:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23744437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiraly/pseuds/Kiraly
Summary: While Costis is forced to dance attendance on the king, a humorous new song circulates among the court.(A poem)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24
Collections: Multifandom Poetry Fest 2018





	The Royal Hound

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for the [Multifandom Poetry Fest](https://minutia-r.dreamwidth.org/58291.html) a few years ago, and apparently I never posted it here. Since I'm planning to read it for the poetry round robin in the Queen's Thief discord server tonight, I thought I would go ahead and put it here too. The prompt was "satirical poems going around court" so of course my mind went to the court intrigues in _The King of Attolia_.

The creatures of Attolia's fair court  
some kept for pleasure only, some for sport  
to chase unwanted villains from the grounds  
and then return to give a full report  
  
But in among these baying, howling hounds,  
there's one most fierce and loyal in his rounds  
He'll take no time to sleep or drink or sing  
too lofty for such ordinary sounds  
  
Of course, when one is set to guard a king  
one cannot rest or stop for anything  
Or else his queen will fix him with a look  
and he will feel her disappointment's sting  
  
And so this dog must play it by the book  
pay penance for the foolish swing he took  
do what he can to keep himself afloat  
until perhaps one day he's off the hook  
  
So this is not to patronize or gloat  
for soldiers all must trail their master's coat  
But rather, future punishments to thwart  
or play the sheepdog to the royal goat.

**Author's Note:**

> In case anyone is curious about the poetic structure, it's a [Rubaiyat](http://thepoetsgarret.com/2015Challenge/form18.html)! Multifandom Poetry Fest is a fun time to play around and try new things, I've ended up with some neat poems I wouldn't have otherwise tried.


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